Working together to create opportunities

Western Australia offers our workforce opportunities that are unique to our great state. But with opportunity come challenges, such as determining skills and training needs in response to rapidly changing demographic, economic and labour market conditions. The State Training Board is actively working with industry, business and employers to identify training needs now and into the future, and the skills gaps that can be addressed through quality vocational education and training.

The Board also has an important role in encouraging industry to invest in training, and to engage with the training sector, so that together we can design quality training programs to meet their needs. This involves developing and delivering strategies, policies and actions that maximise opportunities for building, attracting and retaining a skilled and capable workforce for our State; whether it's through creating more flexible training options, or creating opportunities for employers to engage with the training sector through apprenticeships and traineeships.

We invite and welcome industry, business and employers; particularly small businesses and start-ups, to be part of this important work and help create new and accessible opportunities for all Western Australians to participate in the workforce and community.

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Have your say, get involved

We invite and welcome industry, business and employers, particularly small businesses and start-ups, to work with us to create new and accessible opportunities for all Western Australians to participate in the workforce and community. We will keep you informed of our activities through this website and invite your participation in surveys, focus groups, meetings and deliberative workshops.

Most importantly of all, we invite you to have your say on skills gaps or shortages, training needs, quality of training or other matters related to training and skills development in WA.

Bring the Board to you

The best way for the Board to keep informed about what's happening in workplaces across our WA industry areas is to see it first hand, and the best way to tell us about the issues and challenges you face in your business is to tell us directly.

Boost your business through training

The State Training Board recognises that for many businesses, particularly small and medium sized businesses, training and skills development is often low on the list of priorities due to the time and financial constraints involved with running your operations.

If you want to grow your business, reduce your risks and increase productivity; training and skills development is not only an investment in your future success but it can actually save time and money. Boosting your business through training can have enormous benefits such as increasing performance, profits and staff morale, as well as keeping your business up to date and relevant in today's competitive market.

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Keep your best employees and reduce turnover

Training your employees and investing in their skills will let them know you value their contribution and that you are interested in their future. Your employees will want to work with you, stay longer and invest their time and effort into growing your business. It makes good business and financial sense to train and retain your best people. Through regular training you can keep your employees motivated and interested in your business, increasing their job satisfaction and overall wellbeing. With less stress, illness and injuries, well-trained and motivated employees are less likely to require sick leave for stress, illness and injuries.

By providing management, technical and administrative training to your staff they can take on extra responsibilities, reducing the burden on your management team. Training can help your employees take on new tasks and responsibilities – when you no longer have to rely on one person to do everything, tasks can be completed more efficiently. Because happy and motivated employees are less likely to resign, you can avoid high staff turnover simply by investing in your current employees and their skills. You will spend less time with recruitment agents, interviewing potential candidates and running background checks and have more time to look after your customers.

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Reduce costs, reduce risks, increase productivity

Businesses who are successful take the time to invest in the skills of their employees. Training increases your team's productivity, improves the quality of their products, builds better customer relationships and ultimately helps your workforce achieve profits and grow your business.

When your employees know what they are doing, and are properly trained and confident, they are less likely to make mistakes. Training can reduce the risk of injury and accidents, as well as reduce waste and business losses.

A well-trained employee will know how to operate equipment correctly and safely, boosting productivity through better use of skills and equipment. With the right licences and credentials, employees can maintain and repair equipment and keep it operating, reducing your downtime and repair costs. Similarly, training in essential areas such as occupational health and safety, harassment, diversity and risk management will not only foster more positive workplace relationships but also help to reduce liabilities and keep your workforce safe.

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Increase your ability to adopt new technologies and innovation

Keeping up to date with technology is essential for all businesses. Training to ensure that your employees are up to date with technology will not only enable them to do their job better but also ensures that your business is competitive and innovative.

The world is entering a period in which innovation, technology and automation will transform the working landscape. Activities within nearly every occupation have the potential to be automated or at the very least impacted by technology in some way. Through regular training your employees can keep on top of technology changes and have the capability to more readily identify, adapt and implement new ideas to keep your business operating and growing.

Neglecting to keep your employees trained in the latest developments can cost you more in the long run.

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WA industries for WA jobs

A skilled workforce is essential for Western Australia’s future and will help drive our economic growth and prosperity.

Industry is crucial to the success or failure of training and skills development. For successful outcomes industry needs to articulate their skills and training needs, providing input into training curriculum, qualifications and competency standards and accessing training outcomes.

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Planning for our future workforce

Planning for Western Australia’s future workforce needs is not an easy task. The uncertainty of the future can make it difficult for government, industry and employers to determine the supply and demand for skills, the size of a workforce and the training needs for that workforce. Rapid changes in technology, increasing globalisation, volatile resources commodity prices and an ageing population are all impacting on our future, which makes planning for the development of WA's knowledge-based economy with any certainty very challenging indeed.

The State Training Board’s role is to establish, enable and support policy, strategies and activities that will help ensure the vocational education and training sector develops and delivers the skills needed by WA industries for WA jobs.

We provide a direct link between industry and government and are committed to fostering strong collaborative partnerships with industry, unions, peak bodies, and employers to identify training and skills needs that will meet our State's workforce development challenges now and into the future.

Through our research and partnerships with industry, employers, unions and government we can identify economic and labour market trends and how different industries respond to labour demand and supply issues. We can then review the supply of skills through our TAFE and private training provider network to determine whether the needs of industry are being met.

Where intervention is required, the Board can inform government through our work on the State Training Plan and the creation of apprenticeships and traineeships, and our input into various government policy, strategic or budgetary measures.

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Apprentices and trainees

Employing an apprentice or trainee is a smart investment in the future of your business. In addition to the benefits that training can bring to your business, a range of financial incentives may be available to you when you employ an eligible apprentice or trainee.

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What's available, and how do they work?

There are more than 650 apprenticeships and traineeships available in Western Australia, across almost every industry and ranging in AQF level from Certificate I to Advanced Diploma.

An apprentice or trainee can be a student or school-leaver, a person re-entering the workforce or an adult worker simply wishing to change careers.

An apprentice or trainee can be employed full-time, part-time or school based depending on your business needs.

Apprentices are trained in a skilled trade, such as a hairdresser, chef, plumber, cabinet maker and so on. An apprenticeship is usually three to four years in duration, and a trade certificate is issued upon successful completion. A trainee is generally employed in vocational areas such as office administration, hospitality or information technology. A traineeship is typically one to two years in duration and a VET qualification is issued upon successful completion.

Group training organisations

If you do not have enough work for an ongoing or full-time apprentice position, or your work does not cover the full range of skills an apprentice needs to learn to work in your industry, there are still ways you can participate in the apprenticeship system. Group training organisations (GTOs) can arrange for you to host an apprentice for a short stint, or share an apprentice with another business.